Programme Notes

CMC Light Music Programme

Date: 2004-07-07

Part 1

Welcome. Let's get right into it. The first few selections are from the movies. Let's listen to the first two pieces then I'll talk about them.

1. Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra from the album "Round Up", music from The Magnificent Seven by Elmer Bernstein and Big Country by Jerome Moross

2. Film music of Malcolm Arnold - Whistle Down the Wind (1961) The film is a story of three children living on a remote Lancashire farm. They find a stranger in their barn whom they think is Jesus (played by Alan Bates) but who is really a criminal on the run from the police.

The suite is in three linked sessions. The Prelude is the main theme, then comes 'We Three Kings of Orient Are' done as a light jaunty march-like dance. On the screen, the children, led by Haley Mills go bearing gifts to Jesus, like the Magi. In the finale, the children are sad to see their hero taken away by the police. Malcolm Arnold sums it up as 'simple, sentimental, and helps the film.'

3. Another suite from a film score, this time by Dmitri Shostakovich for The Tale of the Silly Little Mouse. The plot tells of a baby mouse who simply refuses to go to sleep. Its mother sings a lullaby and various animal neighbours are co-opted into being nanny and singing the lullaby. Even the cat is asked, who after initial refusal, 'reluctantly' agrees to try having remembered he has not had a good meal of mouse for some time. In this transcription, the sung parts are assigned to instruments. Mother souse - flue, Pig - bassoon, Duck - trumpet, Horse - trombone, Toad, double bass, Cat - violin and the baby Mouse - oboe.

4. Piano music by Beethoven is next, two early Rondos and a Bagatelle. None of these works is a strain on our intellect, but the craftsmanship of Beethoven is there. The two Rondos were written when Beethoven was just 13 years old. The famous bagatelle in A minor was written in 1810, and was intended for the daughter of Beethoven's physician. The playing here is by Rudolf Buchbinder. I find that his playing is unaffected and allows the quality of Beethoven's writing to be heard, especially in the bagatelle.

5. The English folksong has provided catch tunes and inspiration for Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan-Williams. Add to those a woman, Doreen Carwithen (b. 1922) who wrote her Suffolk Suite in 1964 at the request of Framlingham College, Suffolk for the boys to perform when royalty came to open their new concert hall. It is a suite in four parts - Prelude, Orford Ness, Suffolk Morris, and March: Framlingham Castle.

6. Harry Freedman (b 1922) was also inspired by fold music but this time it is the folk music of Venezuela. His Oiseaux Exotiques was premiered by the National Ballet of Canada in May 1984. His original music and parts of folk tunes are woven seamlessly together. We will hear five excepts from the suite made from the ballet - Butterfly, Joropo, Pescadores, Lianero, and Samba #2. The Edmonton symphony Orchestra is conducted by Uri Mayer.

7. We will be breaking in just three minutes. To send you away with I hope a smile is a parody, written and performed by W. A. Yankovich. Listen carefully to the words.

- - B R E A K - -

Part 2

The second half of tonight's programme will be vocal.

1. The chorus Singing Out! from here in Toronto is one of the largest and strongest lesbian and gay chorus' in the world. A little over a year ago they produced a CD of 14 selection. We will hear the first two tracks, Singing Out! and Some of My Best Friends are Straight, which creates a world where the predominant sexuality is homo, to show how ridiculous discrimination is.

2. Several years ago when LivEnt ran the George Weston Recital Hall, it was my pleasure to enjoy a rousing two hours with the Montreal Gospel Jubilation Choir. No recording can do justice to their large sound, but Nkosi Siketal iAfrica, the national anthem of South Africa, is a quiet and beautiful song that is featured on several albums and in most of their concerts.

3. Franz Biebl (1906-2001) wrote Ave Maria in 1964 for his local fireman's choir in Fürstenfeldbruch parish near Munich. When Chanticleer recorded it in about 1990, the work became noticed. The text is the Latin text for the Angelus liturgy in the Catholic Church.

4. American Angels, subtitled Songs of Hope, Redemption & Glory, is a recent album by Anonymous 4. The repertoire spans from the American Revolution to the present day. It is a departure from their traditional material, but quite effective. We shall hear four songs from the opening section, Invitation. These are Holy Manna, Abbeville, Wondrous Love (all folk hymns) and the gospel song Sweet Hour of Prayer. The impeccable intonation and tuning Anonymous 4 are justly known for raises these simple tunes to art.

5. In 1997, Ute Lemper recorded Berlin Cabaret Songs - twice in fact, once in German and then again in English. The lyrics for the English are not just translated but were re-written, maintaining the humour. We will be hearing Sex Appeal and When the Special Girlfriend.

6. The deep, rolling voice of Paul Robeson just mellows me out. And these three songs recorded in the 1930s are especially mellow. Hush-a-Bye Lullaby, Little Man, You've Had a Busy Day and Lazy Bones.

7. My final selection is a parody, performed by The Greater Hoople Area Off-Season Philharmonic. It is P.D.Q. Bach's 1712 Overture. I hope you've enjoyed this evening, thanks for being here.